This week the UCI announced the continued testing of disc brakes in professional cycling for 2016, with men and women allowed to use the new braking technology on the road from January 1. If this wider phase of testing is a success, disc brakes will officially become legal across the sport from 2017.
The UCI claimed that all of the sport’s "stakeholders, riders, mechanics, organisers, neutral service providers, teams and the bicycle industry, represented by the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI), have decided to continue the trial of disc brakes in professional road racing in 2016.”
Disc brakes in the peloton – what does it mean
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The de facto approval of disc brakes will create and allow a mixed professional peloton, with some riders using disc brakes and others on traditional caliper brakes. There have been concerns that this could cause crashes due to the two different braking techniques and braking times. However bike and component manufacturers believe a mixed peloton is a not a serious problem and point out that equipment differences already exist. Many brands are pushing for widespread disc brake use as soon as possible. Shimano and SRAM already have disc brakes on the market, while Campagnolo are expected to unveil their system in the coming months.
Professional cycling teams are unlikely to have bikes equipped with disc brakes ready for the early races of the 2016 season but disc brakes are expected to invade the peloton in time for the spring Classics. Trek Factory Racing and a number of other WorldTour team have already ruled out using disc brakes at the first WorldTour race of the season, the Tour Down Under in January.
It remains to be seen if the Grand Tour riders will want to use them in the summer. Problems of extra weight, aerodynamics, neutral service and wheel changes have yet to fully considered by the peloton in an intense race scenario. As a result bike manufacturers are ready to study the problems with the riders as disc brakes are used in the professional peloton.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
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